Brain Plasticity

If the brain can change its map,
So that one spot can take another's place,
So that, through exercise, it can recoup a function,
Could that be the case,

With other parts of the body like the foot?
Well, of course it can, we've all seen them write.
And if a leg is not replaced by a stick,
A person's not anchored to the site.

So is this the case with the world as a whole?
This substitutive quality.
Like, will the earth replace the function of its lost resources,
Well, of course, but with the destruction of humanity.

And it's alright,
That doesn't mean you.
The earth will destroy everybody else,
Because you are one of the lucky few.

Getting it Done

My dreams are haunting me,
Just like I thought they would,
Because there are things that I have to get done,
And no plan has absolute certitude.

So details swim through my mind awake and asleep.
Is this a good thing, or is it dangerous,
To my health? I guess not if I am honest,
And remember that it's not that momentous,

To me, but it is important for others,
And I must remember their perspective,
But not have it interfere with my ability,
To get the job done and not be sensitive.

Oh it's alright,
Things always get done in the end.
But will it take a day or a thousand years?
It's on your attitude that it all depends.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Is happiness the same thing,
For everyone, ultimately,
Whether building tables or thinking hard,
Is it the same feeling?

And is it just a matter of finding,
That thing that is most suited to you,
Not as that at which you would be the best,
But what would be the best for you?

And does society allow you to pursue,
What would be best for you?
Sure, and if it happens to make you money,
Well, then it will respect you, too.

And it's alright,
Sometimes you can't always follow your dreams,
But if you make yourself a different person,
You can change them to fit things.

Love You Forever

Once again I'm tempted,
To live only in your life,
And to talk of nothing but our love,
And how your company is a vice,

How sometimes I can't wait,
To be home just so we can talk.
I know I don't mention this enough,
But it's this reality that I love

That lets my mind wander,
Into realms that will never be,
Because I don't want them to.
Unless they include both you and me.

And it's alright,
If you push me out of the bed,
As long as the floor I hit's still in our room,
I am content.

Victory

What does it mean to win?
Does someone have to lose?
I swear the taste of victory's never touched,
These lips near as often as booze.

And what of it? Better to dull the pain,
Than to live through in anticipation,
Of living to fight another day,
In some vague, future competition.

'But everyday's a challenge', you might say,
'And worth every energy we can spare.'
While yet another person crushed by life,
Would say, 'I've taken all that I can bear.'

Oh, it's alright,
It's not if you lose or win,
It's if you're happy doing either one.
Some people can't take the adulation.

Good Leadership

Some things make me giggle,
Just thinking of them,
And not really in a good way,
But as a lesson.

And what is your emotional IQ?
Do you have what it takes to be,
A good team leader so that everyone likes you?
'Cause that is what you need.

Speak with authority, but be confident,
You don't want people to think you don't know,
Exactly what it is that needs to be done.
Even if you don't.

And it's alright,
You never have to lie.
Being firm doesn't mean knowing everything,
It's taking responsibility all the time.

To Win or Lose

You win some and you lose some,
And who can ever tell,
If the win was really a good thing?
If you really knew, well,

Life would be much more intense,
For hope would be tied to reality,
And comfort would be a meaningless thing,
Or would it be?

I suddenly wish I knew where life was heading,
And if there really is such thing as a loss,
Or if by surrendering to the tides of life,
You never have to wonder what was.

And it's alright,
I guess life wouldn't be really different.
Wins would still be filled with joy,
And losses with disappointment.

Complete Peace

Just when you think all is perfect,
You realize that you live in reality,
And, I know, this sounds immensely cynical,
But I know that it's not just me.

It's not that the world moves fast, but that it just keeps moving,
Even while you're sitting, trying to enjoy,
All the things the world has provided.
You can't try and tell me that doesn't annoy.

And that is life, no matter what the structure,
Just like you must eat and breathe everyday,
And if there's a trick to finding the perfect rhythm,
No one yet has found the way.

And it's alright,
If you say you have figured it out.
I'm not calling you a liar,
But, that you're still living, leaves me in doubt.

Accomplishments

Do you feel like you've done,
Everything you've wanted to do,
Or will do what you want to do yet?
Then, I count you amoung the few.

And why is that? Is it that freedom is lacking?
Or is it that many don't have the pep?
Maybe because if we've done all we want,
There's nothing to do yet.

But that's all hogwash, of course,
You can always have dreams,
And whether they're sweeter if you've already accomplished some,
May be a moot question it seems.

And is it alright,
If in your final moments,
You can't think of one thing that you've done,
That you meant?

Success

What is it that you have,
That allows for success?
Assuming that it comes to you at all,
Or, even, that that's how it's assessed.

You are a chump if you feel you have it made,
But you have less than the guy next door,
And by 'less' I mean in material things,
Not in some lousy concept of what's at the core.

Give me something that I can really hold on to,
With my hands, my heart does not have the power,
To reach out and grab something, so it's little help,
When looking for footholds on the way up that tower.

And it's alright,
You'll never make it to the top, anyway,
It disappears the moment you think it exists.
Even if you sunk in what you saved for a rainy day.

Welcome Home

All is all the same now,
Isn't it always like that?
And, let's be honest, if it wasn't,
Wouldn't that be a drag?

You work so hard to build, you don't know what,
Until you're standing in your own paradise,
If you're lucky, and if you're not...
Well, that's why some people are not nice.

But in some ways it's chicken and egg,
Do you go where you're happy, or are you happy where you are?
Though, if you're either, then you are also both,
And that doesn't seem very hard.

And it's alright,
Maybe you want to be angry all the time.
That makes complete sense to me,
It's just an existence of a different kind.

Longevity

Do something each day,
That you can look back upon,
And in doing so, you can slow down life.
Isn't that everyone's mission?

And try to make it painful, that will help,
Since joy is so fleeting,
Not because of its actual duration.
It's a momentous feeling.

But still enjoy life, or you'll want it to end,
This may sound like S & M,
And I'm not saying that it couldn't be,
But it could also mean enjoying your friends.

And it's alright,
If your friends aren't painful enough,
You may die fast, but then again you'll die happy,
And that's not a bad trade-off.

Perspective

There is too much happening,
And I'm not talking about mass shootings.
If I had known I'd have so much to do today,
I'd've done more on Tuesday.

But just remember that death's a loner neighbour,
Who might decide to visit on a whim,
And if you always keep your house clean,
You won't feel half as bad letting him in.

But maybe the best thing is just to keep away from home,
Or, maybe, just never answer the door.
Yes, the analogy can't be taken that far,
But it sure serves to help understand its core.

And it's alright,
No matter what balls you have juggling right now,
It might seem trite, but it all amounts to nothing.
The question's 'why do I want it', not 'how'.

Sailing Analogy

One whole complete orbit,
What does it mean to me?
It's a moment to reflect on what I've done,
And a reason to let it be.

Now's the time to change your tack,
Get a new perspective on your route,
We're all heading in the same direction,
What makes us unique is the time we took.

And I'm not saying it's better,
The slower that you go,
But you certainly get to see how other people do it.
That's valuable, don't you know?

And it's alright,
That wasn't really a question,
I'm just floating out a little off the map,
To avoid the congestion.

One Life

I don't know what to tell you,
How much new really happens in a day?
The magic of life can't be a constant topic,
The magic couldn't survive that way.

But then why lose yourself in the mundane,
When near-death reminds you what it's really worth?
Then again, why hold on to this body as long as you can,
If not to keep it on this earth?

So, get what you want to make yourself happy,
And, I bet, life won't seem all that bad.
Oh wait, why am I assuming you think it's bad at all?
It's actually the best you've ever had.

And it's alright,
If it gets you down sometimes,
I like it when mine gets me down,
In fact, it makes me feel better than fine.

Just Do It

When is it time to do something,
That you've been meaning to do,
Except that there are other things on your list,
And feelings stopping you?

Sometimes you just have to do it because,
A list can only be made up of items,
That can only disappear one at at time.
There's no other solution,

Except, perhaps, not doing nothing at all,
I think that's easier and involves less risk.
Whether comatose or on the street,
You can't really be taken to task.

And it's alright,
Maybe being on the street's on your list,
Or maybe just sitting and staring into space,
Is more attractive to your taste.

What Was That?

It's another world,
The one I just came from,
Where other worlds are denied access,
Because of their composition.

I hardly escaped with my head,
Or, at least, I think that was the case,
And I would have stayed to find out the truth,
But, it's always been something I can't face.

But, at least, I have today,
Without which I couldn't even ponder,
Where I'd be today,
If I had stayed over yonder.

It's alright,
There'll be other worlds down the road,
Maybe not on the one I'm driving now,
But I'm happy when all's told.

Loneliness

If you're feeling lonely,
Maybe the problem is,
That you're not hanging around other people,
Or, at least, ones that exist,

In the same world, because don't forget,
That space is not the only clue,
To where someone's head actually resides,
And how close it is to you.

That is why a book can take you far away,
And a friend can seem distant.
So, if you want to kill your loneliness,
Expand your mind to encompass all you can.

And it's all right,
Even if it's all an illusion,
It's not how you look but how you feel,
That is the key to the solution.

Playing the Field

Now that you are alone,
You've regressed to your past state,
Which is to say that you are drunk at home,
Looking for a date.

But as luck won't have it, some action must take place,
To put you out into the view of others,
Preferably not in your present state,
But in one where you do not suffer.

And by suffer, I mean ashamed of yourself,
Because one can be in pain and still attract,
As long as the pain's showing despite your attempts,
It will appear as an unveiled fact.

Though, it's alright,
Maybe someone will bust through your door,
And instead of being someone wishing to rob you,
It might be the date that you've been looking for.

I'm The Father

I can't take the time now,
To do all I want to do, you know,
Just like we now know who's Dannielynn's father,
I told you so.

Life demands that you be a certain way,
That you stay that way at certain times,
And the life you build around you,
Makes other demands of other kinds.

And there are always choices, but what have we learned,
But that the straight and narrow is the one,
That provides the support from society,
Regardless that it's a bad one?

But it's alright,
Or, at least, it has to be,
I don't have the time to think it's anything else,
Or else, I'll be late for where I have to be.

Salvia Divinorum

I've never taken this herb,
Though, I swear I would,
If I wasn't afraid of never coming back,
To this imperfect world.

I'd get from it what I get from other things,
That make me forget where I am,
When after returning I realize I'm the same person I was,
When I was a completely different man.

But now, I guess, I have too much to lose,
I'm not afraid of leaving, but of not coming back,
Which sounds dramatic, but when you've got a kid,
You don't want to treat him like that.

And it's alright,
I'm not that old quite yet,
There are still the tried and true ways of escape,
And I'll never give up those, I bet.

Isn't It Great?

Here we go again,
You can't escape what,
You agreed to do, even if it's not,
That which you really want.

Not to say I'm not happy in general,
I could be doing a lot worse,
And, in fact, I'm doing pretty good,
In the society in which I've been nursed.

I love you and I love it and him,
I love the way they all come together,
I love how I never really had to direct myself,
To be in the position to be such a lover.

And it's alright,
In the end, it's really just a twist of fate,
And it's also a twist of the mind,
That makes a person's life great.

The Movies

What makes things interesting,
In a good movie?
Is it the things that would never happen,
In reality?

Or rather the things you would never expect,
Or, at least, things that you'd never dare dream.
If that's the case sometimes I feel,
That I'm in a movie.

Like when I sit and really look around,
And try to paint a line from birth until now,
Who would have thought that this is where I'd end up?
I think you'd say the same about yourself, somehow.

And it's alright,
We haven't ended up where we will yet,
That's the difference between life and the movies:
Life never ends.

Choices

Try to separate your,
Time so that you can,
Do everything you want to, and I bet,
That you can't.

One thing requires that you be someone else,
And while you do that, you need to be someone else,
To do the other thing that needs to get done.
It's a wonder that you're ever yourself.

Of course, this all is true only as you get older,
And more than one stream serves to make up your life,
Because when you're young you don't bank on just one thing,
Because that would be like rolling the dice.

And it's not alright,
If you just try to start all over again,
Unless you destroy everything in your life first,
And that is no solution.

Happy Time

What if the monkey on your back,
Is a cute little thing?
Why get it off if it is not that heavy,
And makes you feel naughty?

Let go of good and evil, that's what they say,
When they are good enough to live in the world,
With all the people following the rules.
It must be nice to have self-control.

The key is to have a world where everyone,
Let's loose within the boundaries of peace.
But not everyone's happy inside those walls,
And so, everyone can never all be happy.

And it's alright,
If some people suffer for others,
The key is to minimize that number,
While maximizing the ones who not need suffer.

To Be Happy

If all I wished would happen,
Happened for me,
I know there'd still be things to wish for,
But I would be more happy.

Okay, maybe not more happy, but satisfied,
I'm not turning this into a lesson,
On how you have to be happy with what you have.
That's not the structure of Capitalism.

That's one good thing, it offers goals to reach,
While never allowing you to get all you desire,
As long as you're part of a small percentage of the population,
You're living fairly comfortable, and can rise a little higher.

And it's alright,
Life is hard, no matter what,
Unless we all start treating each other nice,
And start being happy with what we got.

Ski Day

My belly is full,
I'm ready to start the day,
I'm not going to work,
Because I'm going to play today.

I wish it could last forever,
Minus a few factors,
I guess nothing's ever perfect,
That's what dreams are for.

So I'm out the door now,
As soon as I get ready,
Another proof that things are not ideal,
Or I'd be as naked as Adam and Eve.

And it's alright,
Even though I've come at nothing profound,
At least I can say that I've done something,
Even if it doesn't make a sound.

I Know You

Now the snow is falling,
Not that reality should define,
What it is that's brewing up inside me,
But it's an interesting thing besides.

If it was like this everyday I would be,
More likely to be someone else,
Just like if I had a tragic childhood experience,
But didn't remember it, myself.

It's not another person walking around,
Influencing me in what I do.
It's not me either, I encompass all,
And know more than you think about you.

And it's alright,
I still need a lot of practice,
To be able to read you like a book,
So, don't go get all anxious.

Use It

When you are away,
From what you know the most,
When you want to be there, too,
After you've had your toast,

You must let go of it all,
At least in so far as you,
Can't do anything physically,
But there's something you can do:

Look at that world from the place that you are,
Because you're in a very good spot,
To look at yourself as someone else,
And see what it is you've got.

And it's alright,
If you realize you don't got a lot.
Not many people really do,
It's all about what you've been taught.

Gotta Go

I don't have much time now,
I know that that is not an excuse,
Why not do all you have to do when you can?
Well, what is the use?

You can't take it with you and what about what others,
Think about you when you're no longer around?
I'm not sure what effect it has on you,
When you're six feet underground.

Who am I kidding, isn't what we want,
To find out the meaning of life?
I thought it was until I made one of my own,
And now I just want meaning for my son and wife.

And it's alright,
If I'm not making sense to you,
Because I'm not making sense to myself,
And that is what I always intend to do.